Kawasaki Klx650
KAWASAKI KLX650
CYCLE WORLD TEST
THREE CHEERS FOR ANOTHER REAL DUAL-PURPOSE BIKE
KAWASAKI’S NEW KLX650 is further proof that dual-purpose bikes are headed in the right direction after years of floundering. The KLX, decked out in black paint and wild, colorful graphics, marks an end to Kawasaki's flirtation with street-oriented, rally-style bikes such as the discontinued Tengai model and the current KLR650. The new 650 is a lot closer to the half-dirt. half-street concept that was rediscovered in 1991 by Suzuki’s DR350S and accentuated last year by Honda’s excellent XR650L.
To that end, the KLX is based on the company's new, dirt-only KLX650R model, even if the addition of street paraphernalia has increased dry weight by 59 pounds to a somewhatporky 357, just 1 1 pounds less than the old-style KLR. Still, the KLX has an inverted fork with 43mm legs, and a steel, perimeter-style frame just like the R’s. Its liquid-cooled, dohc engine is virtually identical to the one used in the R-model, but with electric starting and a larger silencer.
On highways and backroads, the KLX650 is an impressive piece. Its engine runs cleanly and is very responsive. All controls, including the dualcable throttle, work smoothly and positively. The transmission shifts with a light touch of the rider’s foot, the five-speed gearbox has excellent ratios, and neutral is easily engaged at stop lights. The wide, comfortable seat is low enough that a person of average height has no trouble planting both feet on the ground when stopped.
Engine vibration is well damped by the 650’s counterbalancer; the big Single’s power strokes are seldom felt at most highway speeds, despite a lack of rubber-mounting for the footpegs or the handlebar. A comfortable, upright riding position lets the rider take in the scenery without neck cramp.
The KLX650’s handling is on the slow side in tight turns due to its kicked-out, 28.5-degree rake, 4.8-inch trail and 59.3-inch wheelbase. Still, a wide, motocross-style handlebar provides the leverage needed to get the bike turned, cornering clearance is almost unlimited, and the Dunlop semi-knobbed tires deliver good grip and excellent feedback. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; a good dual-purpose Thumper on a twisty piece of backroad is about the most fun you can have on two wheels. The KLX does nothing to alter our opinion.
If there’s a hitch in the 650’s gitalong, it’s the rear suspension. On most roads, including moderately bumpy ones, the ride is plush. But chuckholes and wash-outs use up the rear suspension’s 10 inches of wheel travel easily, resulting in an audible thud. The fork, on the other hand, maintains its composure no matter what it runs into.
Off-road, the rear suspension becomes a problem. Medium speeds across small bumps results in continual rear-suspension bottoming. Larger bumps and holes cause instant, severe bottoming and loud clanking noises. Even at relatively slow speeds in the rough, the KLX’s non-dampingadjustable rear shock quickly overheats and fades completely. Increasing the shock’s spring preload to maximum helps slightly, but this can't be done on the trail: The bike’s toolkit lacks the spanner needed to adjust spring preload, and even if it did, the adjuster cam is nearly impossible to reach.
Part of the problem is that the shock is small-bodied and has no remote reservoir. What appears to be a giant reservoir on the left side is actually a cleverly designed plastic toolbox. Too bad some of that cleverness wasn’t used to come up with a better shock, especially on a bike that costs $4700.
Ridden on smooth dirt surfaces, the KLX650 is more friendly and gives a good account of itself. The bike slides well and holds a nice line through turns, though handling is a little slower than that of the dirt-only R model, and it’s more difficult to loft the KLX's front wheel over obstacles due to its 1.5-inch-longer swingarm (made of steel, not aluminum as on the R). Offroad, the Kawasaki's disc brakes-a large, 10.3-inch front and an 8-inch rear-work well, though the front requires a fairly heavy tug from higher speeds and the rear locks easily on slippery ground.
On the street, especially from 65mph-plus speeds, the big front brake requires that much of the lever travel be used for quick stops, but its performance is on par with other bikes in the class.
Cool-weather testing didn’t give us a chance to subject the 650’s liquidcooling system to high temperatures, but overheating would appear not to be a problem. Even though the KLX uses the same small radiators as the KLXR, the right radiator is fitted with a thermostat-operated cooling fan. And just in case that doesn’t do the job, there is a plastic coolant-overflow bottle mounted behind the left sidepanel.
Overall, Kawasaki’s new KLX650 is a fun motorcycle, though somewhat frustrating. It has a great engine that starts with a push of a button, and never coughs or hesitates. Its transmission and clutch seem bulletproof. Its perimeter frame is solid and flex-free. The fork is compliant and isolates the rider from shock. Around town, on the highway, on backroads and on smooth dirt surfaces, the KLX is a wonderful bike, maybe the best-ever D-P bike at those functions. For many riders, that alone will be enough.
But that's only half of a dual-purpose machine’s intended mission in life. True, the KLX is a dramatic improvement over recent efforts from Kawasaki. It’s also true that these newbreed dual-purpose bikes don't have to be accomplished enough to win a national enduro. But they should be capable of some serious trail riding.
As it stands, Kawasaki took the KLX650 to the brink of that capability, then left it a decent shock short of true greatness.
EDITORS NOTES
LATE LAST FALL, WHEN RUMOR OF AN all-new Open-class Kawasaki dualpurpose bike drifted through the Cycle World offices, I listened intently, eagerly ingesting any available information. When I finally saw the machine, and its dirt-only sibling, the KLX650R, at the annual Kawasaki dealer show, I crawled around it peering intently at its liquid-cooled, four-valve engine, inverted fork, semi-knobbed tires and wild graphic treatment.
Now that I’ve ridden the KLX, I’m still excited. The bike doesn’t offer the off-pavement prowess of the dirt version, granted, but it’s an impressive streetbike. The engine is smooth and powerful, the 43mm KYB fork easily soaks up potholes and bumps, and this thing will flat bum up your favorite set of twisties, and do so without the hanging-off histrionics that a repli-racer requires.
If this new KLX650 is representative of what happens when rumors get started, then I’m all ears.
-Matthew Miles, Associate Editor
THE KLX650 is MY KIND OF MOTORCYcle: minimalist, with a terrific, electricstart engine. Kawasaki did enough things properly to make this bike a barrel of laughs right out of the box. The good stuff includes that wonderfully crisp engine, the sweet-shifting transmission, the very stiff frame and one of the plushest dual-purpose forks I’ve sampled.
What needs fixing? I’d start with the bike’s shock, a wimpy little unit that wouldn’t do the job on a minibike, much less on a ground-pounder like this one. I’m 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, and at rest, with me on it, the poor thing sacks through fully half its suspension travel.
Once I got that handled, I’d stick on a set of street-legal knobs, and I’d roost. Oops, there is one more thing: Call me conservative, but that black/aqua/red/blue/yellow paint scheme would have to go before I’d want to be seen aboard this puppy. —Jon F. Thompson, Feature Editor
I GUESS I’M JUST A TEENAGER AT HEART, because I really like the KLX650’s multi-colored graphics. I even think the instruments, with their yellow numerals on purple faces, are kinda cool.
Being able to plant both feet on the ground when stopped is nice, too. The inverted fork doesn’t have adjusters, but then it doesn’t really need them. Less favorable is the front brake that doesn’t do much until the lever is yanked on strongly. I’d like to see a bigger fuel tank fitted, too. The KLX’s fuel mileage isn’t all that great; even ridden gingerly, the 650 will need re-filling every 100 miles or so.
It’s the rear shock that really lets this bike down, though. Sure, a $500 aftermarket damper will cure the problem, and the KLX650 is otherwise so good that it’s worth the extra expense. But shame on Kawasaki for not doing the right thing and giving the KLX the rear suspension it deserves.
Ron Griewe, Senior Editor
KAWASAKI KLX650
$4699
